Improvement in spark-arresters



WILLIAM H. RICHARDSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPARK-ARRESTERS.

Specification forming part Aof Letters Patent No. 162,691, dated April27, 1875; application filed' October 17, 1874.V

.To all whom it may concern:

The object of my invention is to prevent the escape of heavy smoke,sparks, &c., from the smoke-pipes of locomotives; and my inventionconsists in locating` the smoke-pipe near the cab, andinterposing'between the said pipe and the smoke-box of the boiler anapparatus of peculiar construction, by the construction and operationot' which the heated gases are carried over the boiler before escape,and caused to precipitate sparks, cinders,- condensed or unconsumedcarbon, Sac., by the action,and against thesides of surfaces cooled by,a current of air.

This patent is :intended to cover a special adaptation of thesmoke-precipitator described and claimed in another application of evendate with this.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my iinproved locomotive.

A represents the body of a locomotive, B being the usual smoke-box. Inplace of locating the chimney C over this smoke-box, I remove it toalocation near the cab D, andinterpose between it and the smoke-box aconveying and cooling apparatus, as follows: E is a case or shell havingheads F F, in which are fitted one or more tubes, G. lhe tubes providepassages for the products of combustion, andthe spaces around the tubesconstitute or compose a chamber for the introduction ot' air. The gasespass in the direction of the arrows; and in order that the gases may beconsiderably cooled by the simple passage of the air naturally throughthe apparatus, I provide for the reception of it at a, where the tubesare coolest, and for the escape of it at b, where thetubes are hottest.In this way the currents are in reverse directions, and the coolingproperties of the air introduced are more fully utilized than it' thecurrents were in the same direction. In the passage of the products ofcombustion through the pipes G a reduction of temperature is caused bythe current ot' air, suicient to cause the vapors emitted in the furnacefrom the liquids contained in the coal to condense, and the accompanyingparticles of condensed carbon, with cinders, sparks, Sto., to adhere tothe interior of the tubes. By this means a great portion of the heavysmoke and the sparks and cinders are caught or collected before escapeinto the chimney. At one or both ends of the chamber diaphragms H may beintroduced, and placed Yin reverse direction, as shown. It' occupyingthe smoke-box end ot' the boiler, they serve to cause eddies in thecurrent sufficient to check and take up the heaviest particles offloating matter, and prevent the same from en tering the tubes 5 and,itat the chimney end, they also cause eddies, which cause the collectionof the doating particles that have escaped from the tubes.

Suitable receptacles may be attached forthe soot, Ste., to fall intofrom the diaphragms or ends of the tubes, for the purpose of collectingthe matter caught up, which receptacles may be emptied at any timethrough proper doors or openings.

I is the exhaust-pipe from the engine. This I prefer to introduce, notinto the smoke-box, but in the newly-located chimney, as shown, eitherbelow the mouth, as shown, or in the cylindrical part. Its location herewill not cause such fluctuation in the speed of the current of gasesfrom the furnace as is customary when it is located in the smoke-box,and my apparatus, therefore, will not receive as much floating matter asordinarily passes through a locomotive-chimney.

The escape of heated air from the pipe b may be either turned into thechimney to assist draft, or passed in a pipe or pipes (shown in dottedlines) to the furnace, and there introduced as hot blast to assistcombustion, or to heat the feed-water of the boiler, or it may beallowed to freely escape 5 and the current may be natural, as shown, orbe increased by the use of a blowing apparatus.

When the current ot' air is introduced into the fire-box from theapparatus which heats it it serves to economize fuel by reason of itshigh temperature, and serves also to increase the draft. It maybeintroduced either above or below the grate-bars in any preferred way.The blast may be either sufcient of itseltl to feed the tire withoxygen, or it may be used to partially feed it, the balance being thecold air admitted by natural draft, and it will, in either case, assistin the ignition of the gases in the furnace, and facilitate perfectcombustion and the prevention, to a large extent, of smoke. The cinders,soot, &c., caught up by the receptacles in communication with thechambers c c may be introduced into the furnace for rekindling andconsumption as fuel.

In the drawing the products of combustion are shown as passing throughtubes, and the air circulating outside 5 but it is obvious that they maybe reversed, so that the air passes through the tubes, and the productsof combustion outside.

The diaphragms H H may be detachable slides, to provide for theirremoval, and provision m aybe madefor the swabbin g or cleaning out ofthe tubes, so that all the matter cleaned out may be received into theAdust-receptacles below the chambers c c. The smoke-box B may of itself`act as a receptacle for the collection of soot, &c., both from theboiler and from the tubes of the apparatus E F Gr.

The gases'may be prevented from entering the cooling apparatus, when thelocomotive is in the round-house or elsewhere, by the provision of aseparate chimney over the smoke-box, and a damper to cut oft' the gasesfrom the apparatus.

I claiml In a locomotive. the conveying and cooling apparatus E F G c,having air induction and eduction openings a b, to admit of a naturalcirculation ot' air through it, the apparatus being supportedhorizontally on top of the boiler, connecting at its forward end withthe smoke-box B, and terminating at its rear end in the chimney G, allsubstantially as and for the purpose speciiied. I

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses EDGAR J. GRoss, J. L. WARTMANN.

